KAREEM SALAAM. thirty-seven. cis man. he/him. museum curator.
tag ★ intro ★ threads ★ musings ★ visage
SEONHO JONES. twenty-six. cis man. he/him. gig worker.
tag ★ intro ★ threads ★ musings ★ visage
Cosmic Funnies

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Game of Thrones Daily
Aqua Utopia|海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
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$LAYYYTER

Discoholic 🪩

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shark vs the universe
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roma★
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@fireliit
KAREEM SALAAM. thirty-seven. cis man. he/him. museum curator.
tag ★ intro ★ threads ★ musings ★ visage
SEONHO JONES. twenty-six. cis man. he/him. gig worker.
tag ★ intro ★ threads ★ musings ★ visage
“I would like you to find me a warm pumpkin drink and then we’ll see,” Ophelia challenged in disbelief, brow still furrowed. She liked pumpkin in certain dishes, mostly kabocha in hobakjuk. Eyeing Seonho’s drink, it definitely at least seemed better than the one she had. “November is still a full 30 days before December rolls in. Please just let me prolong the holiday season because I don’t think I can stand to realize that the year is almost over,” she replied with a scrunched nose. “Oh Mariah Carey requires defrosting starting around August. She’s too powerful for us.” A giggle followed at the mental image of a frozen Mariah Carey in a block of ice. “Mmm let me take another look.” Her eyes scanned over the menu–some of the listing appearing silly and over-dramatic, but at least the ingredients seemed much more desirable. “Mmm transformation cocktail sounds good,” her finger pointed on the menu, listing a frozen mixture of blackberry brandy, rum, strawberries, and orange juice. “I don’t know why I didn’t try that in the first place!”
"Well, I'm not going to find one here. Obviously." Seonho's cheeks puff out and he pokes out his tongue playfully. Pumpkin isn't an every day part of his diet, and even seasonally, it's not often that he indulges in it. "But if we don't think ahead to Christmas until after Thanksgiving like most people ask for, then we don't even get a full month of anticipation!" Another year gone by is a hard thing for Seonho to swallow, but that's just how time works. It keeps slipping through his fingers, and another year gone feels like another year wasted when he considers how little has changed in the past year and how little he has accomplished. He watches Ophelia look over the menu, sipping at his own sugary sweet cocktail, and nods his head at her choice, humming under his breath. "That does sound delicious. You can't go wrong with a bunch of fruits all mixed together." Meanwhile, he thinks that he will switch to beer after this. He knows that she has drawn him out here for him to relax, but he doesn't want to lose sense of himself either. "You know what, I will get a pumpkin beer next so that you have a better idea of what good pumpkin alcohol tastes like."
Mei's face immediately broke out into a bright grin and she nodded her head. "You get it," she said quite simply. "The plan is to make a display of sorts, so this is one of many, but I need a few that can take centre stage." This pumpkin could definitely do that, especially now she had Seonho's agreement. At least someone didn't think she was completely insane.
"Oh, I can't wait to see that when you are done," he enthuses excitedly, wondering how Mei will choose to display them. "Are you going to paint or carve them at all?" Seonho poses as his eyes survey the nearby pumpkins. "You should get a few small ones to go on the sides." He taps on a nearby gourd. "I need to find two solid ones for my youngest sisters to carve up."
Having a themed night at the bar was enough reason for Ophelia to try and lure Seonho for a night out. Unfortunately, the drink she got was awful. "Just you wait and see," she warned with a raised brow. She eyed him carefully, awaiting and expecting a similar reaction to hers, and when he did, she felt vindicated. "Apple! Apple is so good but I wonder if they thought pumpkin and pumpkin spice is more of a cash grab." Taking the glass from Seonho, she pushed it away from them in hopes of it disappearing completely. "It isn't even November yet! I am not ready for it to be Christmas but I do love peppermint mochas."
"Sure, pumpkin works better in hot drinks though. Especially when using a puree..." Part of the problem with this drink is it's too chunky, and it's a textural problem in his mouth. Which is saying something since Seonho is far from picky. He couldn't afford to be, sipping on his Harvest Punch cocktail that he has been nursing ever since he had arrived. Pacing himself slowly and not protesting when Ophelia disposed of the drink that is swiftly grabbed by a passing bartender. "November is right around the corner! And I was talking more about the flavors first and foremost. Not even I will be blasting Mariah Carey before Thanksgiving." Though he is already planning his annual Christmas card. "Do you want a Peppermint Schnaps then or something? Or does something else on the Halloween menu speak to you?"
open starter ! @chqstarter location: hell & high water
"Seriously, I know it's fall and people love their seasonal drinks and everything, but who thought a pumpkin spice cocktail was gonna taste good?" Ophelia squeaked, face scrunching from the sip she had just taken from her autumnal drink. Pushing it away from her on the counter, she shook her head with disgust. "Do you want to finish this?"
Seonho eyes the cocktail with a level of skepticism but curls his hands around the glass anyway, pushing it toward him. "Sure. You know that I can't let it go to waste...and how bad can it be?" After taking a sip, his mouth contorts unpleasantly and he sticks out his tongue. "Okay, actually, that is still pretty bad...if we are going to go with fall flavors, we should lean into apple. Or cranberry! Though quite frankly, I am ready to skip all of that and head to Christmas." His favorite holiday, as made obnoxiously clear every year. "Switch out the pumpkin for peppermint and this would be so much better." He swallows another long swig.
open starter // "what? no." yemaya frowned. "why do you think i would do something like that?" yemaya wasn't the type who would be caught up in anything that wasn't deemed to be just and good. she was a softie at heart, and cried at the slightest inconvenience -- behind close doors, anyway. "i don't know what you heard, but i think you have the wrong person. sorry." @chqstarter
"Okay, okay, no need to be so defensive..." As sophisticated as he portrays himself, Kareem is admittedly a sucker for hot gossip. "I was just relaying what I had been told. The organizer this event had just mentioned that someone was going around pulling pranks on people, emphasizing more on the 'trick' rather than the treat of this holiday. I wasn't meaning to point the finger at you in particular." Though it very well could be how it came across.
The guilt that Bianca started feeling as soon as she saw it was Seonho's car was evident. Sure she felt some guilt beforehand but not enough to bribe someone for their silence. But not her sweet Seonho! "Oh buddy I'm so sorry!" She quickly ran over to double check that she really didn't and was embarrassed to find some marks. "Oh god no there are some! Please let me make it up to you somehow, Seonho. I feel so terrible."
Hands are quick to fly up, waving dismissively as if the motion could erase any guilt that Bianca feels. As far as Seonho is concerned, there's no harm done. "Don't even worry about it! Really. It's impossible to know how many marks were already there, and I'm not worried about it." In his perspective, Bianca has already done him so many favors, and he wouldn't hold something so trivial against her. "So long as she still runs," He pats a hand on top of the vehicle's hood, smile spreading on his face. The vehicle is on its last legs. "It's all good.
OPEN STARTER @chqstarter Location: Super Market
To say that Bianca hated grocery shopping was an understatement. There were always too many choices and in general it was too boring for her liking. Which was why she liked to play little games with herself when she could. The most fun to her was shopping cart bowling, and at the end of her trip she tried to get a perfect score by pushing her cart into the return when it gave an unexpected veer to the right hitting a car. "Oh shit!" Bianca said before looking around and finding someone who watched the whole thing. "Listen I'll give you $20 if you don't snitch." She offered before a sudden thought came to mind. "Or I'll buy you lunch if that was your car."
The crash startles him. He had packed his bags into the backseat of his car rather than his already full trunk that Seonho keeps forgetting to empty. And it's when he had moved to return his own cart that the incident had occurred. Facing Bianca as she admits to being the culprit, he gives the older woman a wave of the hand. "It's no big deal. You didn't even leave a mark, so no harm done." A quick assessment reveals a few scratches around his rear bumper, but his car has already been in terrible shape. It's likely on its last legs considering that he has been driving it around for eight years, and it had already been a decade old before he had purchased it.
open starter // "the last thing any of us needs is a halloween party. aren't we a little too grown up for that?" richard arched an eyebrow. he did not see himself dressing up and socializing. he'd be completely fine socializing --- without the extra bullshit. "i mean, to each their own but --- i am going to sit this one out, mate." @chqstarter
"That's a shame because I have the perfect costume idea for you," Kareem quips, amused as he tickles his fingers along his chin. "You could be the Grinch. Only orange instead of green because you're the Halloween remix version." Kareem isn't all that into Halloween and doesn't go out of his way on hi costume, but he does see it as a fun way of expression. Almost like an art form all its own.
for: @chqstarter location: pumpkin picking
"What about this one?" Mei was already crouched down, dirty hands firmly gripping the pumpkin in question, ready to rip it from the vine. It was oddly shaped, pretty large, and the brightest of orangy-reds you could imagine. "There's just... something about it. Do you know what I mean?"
Seonho surveys the pumpkin, eyes bright and nod excited as his head bobbles in agreement. "Now that pumpkin has character," he declares with a wide grin, "It would definitely stand out if you intend to set it up on your porch or someplace. This kind of pumpkin is a star, so I feel like it's meant to live a life on display." Albeit a short one considering the shelf life of a pumpkin."
LOGAN, THIRTY-ONE, CST; SHE/THEY. | if you’re hearing I MAKE MY OWN SUNSHINE by ALYSSA BONAGURA playing, you have to know SEONHO JONES (HE/HIM; CIS MAN) is near by! the TWENTY-SIX year old GIG WORKER (MULTIPLE JOBS) has been in denver for, like, ELEVEN YEARS. they’re known to be quite RESTLESS, but being BUOYANT seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble CHA EUNWOO. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those WARM HONEY EYES THAT ARE ALWAYS CRINKLING UNDER THE WEIGHT OF A SMILE, AN ELASTIC HEART THAT ENDURES AGAINST ALL ODDS, A VIBRATING ENERGIZER BUNNY THAT RUNS AROUND IN CIRCLES IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO MOVE FORWARD AND IS IN NEED OF REST vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE DISTRICT long enough!
Full profile under the cut! APPLICABLE TRIGGER WARNINGS: non-descriptive mentions of abandonment, death by brain aneurysm, degenerative cognitive illness, homelessness
LOGAN, THIRTY-ONE, CST; SHE/THEY. | if you’re hearing COMING HOME by BRIDGES playing, you have to know KAREEM SALAAM (HE/HIM; CIS MAN) is near by! the THIRTY-SEVEN year old MUSEUM CURATOR has been in denver for, like, SIX MONTHS. they’re known to be quite FICKLE, but being FREE-THINKING seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those PERFECTIONISM THAT IS ALWAYS BEING FINE-TUNED AND REWORKED LIKE A MOLD OF CLAY, A GLASS OF CURATED WINE WHILE READING CLIVE BELL FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME, FRENCH PRESS COFFEE WITH A SPLASH OF CONDENSED MILK vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the CHERRY CREEK long enough!
Full profile under the cut! APPLICABLE TRIGGER WARNINGS: brief mentions of death by helicopter accident and natural causes
"Like a thousand dollars at least. Maybe more." He couldn't afford that, but hey, maybe someone could. "Damn, I wanted to be a nepo baby." He sighed, wishing that he could be like Jamie Lee Curtis or someone as cool as her. "An internal promo doesn't sound as cool. Though I dunno if it's really a promotion yet, I don't get paid much to practice because it's like practicing, you know?" His rate had to be lower, of course. "You can't have a back and forth with a dog? I've seen some huskies on tiktok that love to argue."
"A thousand dollars?" He whistles. "If that was my going rate, my bank account would be in a far better state than it is." The sentiment that Matt relays is one that he could echo. It would be nice if he had more of a leg up than he does, but he tries not to complain. "Your apprenticeship is kinda the same to an internship, right? That's probably how they rationalize not compensate you for your practicing time, but I don't mind volunteering myself as tribute once you get to that point." Laughter rips through him freely. "Okay, that's fair. Animals have plenty to say, but I don't know how good I'd be at interpreting."
Daphne's grin stretches to its furthest reaches, wrinkles forming in the corners of her eyes. It is a great responsibility — a good soundtrack can make or break a long drive, and by the looks of the traffic today, they could be here a while. Though it's not the reason she usually walks or cycles, avoiding the busy roads is a great perk. "I'll try not to disappoint." She teases, glancing over at him before turning back to his phone. "Hmm, I suppose that's true. I'd be interested in knowing what my music taste tells you about me — only if it's something good, though." Her laugh is soft, airy. She scrolls through a 90s club classics playlist she has saved on her own account. "Should we go with a mood booster?"
There's no reason for Daphne to sweat her choice. Seonho may attempt to derive knowledge from someone's musical tastes, but it's all in good humor and good fun. With him, there's no real wrong choice, even when someone's taste may be very distinct from his own. His eyes catch the name of the playlist, lighting up in interest. "Hell yeah. I think we could use something that keeps us bumping along as we...literally bump along." He gestures vaguely in front of him to the bumper-to-bumper traffic that they are wading through. "This was a good era for club music. Not that I was alive for much of it, nor was I anywhere near to being close to club-age." Even now that he is an adult, it's not often that he frequents the club. "Go ahead and hit play."
"Exactly, they have such imagination that isn't jaded. I love watching them get excited about things. There are some that just thought it was cool that the meteors were part of a comet falling to earth but others still see it as magic and I can't even blame them." Her eyes drop to the cookies with a smile. "They are similar to a shortbread cookie, with a guava past center atleast the red ones, the others are chocolate frosting. Not everyone is fond of Guava." Picking up one of the guavas she takes a bite before offering the man the man another smile. "Nice to meet you Kareem, My name is Carleigha"
"I work at the museum, and it is kind of sweet to see the kids' faces light up in wonder." He imagines that it would be more worthwhile to work specifically at the children's museum, but Kareem knows himself well enough to acknowledge that he is far more into the in-depth, more abstract work that he does. "A guava center, huh? Sounds interesting..." And more to his palette preference compared to chocolate, nibbling on one of the morsels and humming approvingly. "This is pretty damn good. Thanks, Carleigha. I appreciate you sharing the goods with me."
"Yeah, for sure. And people will be lookin' for things to do inside." He wasn't sure if he was ready for the cold just yet. At least they had a little bit to go till then. "I'm gonna be the first in line there." He said excitedly, "I don't think people realize the work that goes into exhibits."
"Precisely. Love when a plan comes together, and even more thrilled when we are on the same wavelength." Kareem rubs his hands together, as if this had been what he anticipated all along. "See, now that's an idea for a seminar one day. Allow people to have more insight into all of what goes into what we do. Maybe if we illuminate some light onto all of the work that it takes, our field would be more appreciated."
"For real. You could be one, I'd hire you." Well, if he could afford it. "I kinda had an in anyways, being a piercer, I'm like almost a nepo baby with gettin' to be an apprentice." He was the furthest from a nepo baby, in reality but there, maybe it was comforting to feel like one. "See? You should work with dogs. They don't talk as much as people do. And their breath's probably better than most too."
"I wonder what would be a fair rate for me to charge for that." It's an amusing thought to entertain in a hypothetical manner only. "I don't think that counts as nepotism. It's more like you already had some of the skills. It's, like, an internal promotion, which is totally different." Or it is in Seonho's head anyway. He laughs freely, the sound vibrating through his chest. "You aren't wrong. But I do think that I would miss the back and forth conversation."